New York’s investor-owned utilities recently filed reports that detail installed and proposed net metering projects through the end of February. NYSEG showed the most dramatic increase in net metering applications since the previous report, with outstanding applications totaling nearly 700 MW, while ORU’s queue rose by almost 70 MW. Other utilities showed only moderate increases in February.

The February reports include the following data:

• Orange & Rockland:  317.3 MW (30.5% of 2005 peak load)
• ConEd:  178.6 MW (1.6% of 2005 peak load)
• Central Hudson: 163.2 MW (13.6% of 2005 peak load)
• National Grid:  935.9 MW (14.3% of 2005 peak load)
• RGE:  64.2 MW (3.96% of 2005 peak load)
• NYSEG:  699.2 MW (24.7% of 2005 peak load)

The data reflects the queues (installed plus proposed) in relation to 2005 peak load, the benchmark used to set the former net metering caps, which have been suspended by the Public Service Commission.

Note: In September 2015, EQ Research published a white paper describing how weak reporting requirements for net metering in some U.S. states are needlessly creating murky market conditions for distributed solar PV and other renewables. This study, The Great Guessing Game: How Much Net Metering Capacity is Left?, describes net metering reporting requirements and practices in 13 U.S. states, and offers nine recommendations for improving such requirements and practices.